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Brett: Do you want to back out on ?

Misty: No! Just afraid you’ll be sorry

The cursor blinked and blinked as she waited for his answer Finally…

Brett: Sootta take a leap of faith Either you’re in or you’re not

Misty: I’hten you Trust me

Trust It seeh life She wanted to be in charge for a change, no longer the absentminded toe wo, she jolted Even four years after losing her hearing, she still wasn’t accustoetting better at coping strategies, like feeling a slight tre door, but she’d apparently let herself become too absorbed in her online conversation

Thank God for her sister’s dogged insistence on expanding their Internet capabilities, because here, at least, Misty had no limitations

She spun, careful that her back covered the computer screen, and found her older brother with his wife Astrid stood closer, while Phoenix hung back by the door with his year-old son strapped to his chest in a BabyBj&ou his baby niece flashed into her mind She wanted that for herself, and that wouldn’t happen for her here

Take charge Pioneer her own future Shethem to hold on for a second and turned back to the con off More later Love

Love She shivered Could she love someone she’d never met in person?

As she turned back to Astrid, Misty scratched her neck, not because of any itch but to gauge her voice by the vibrations against her fingertips "Yes?"

Astrid dropped into a chair beside her, her face scrunched orry and exhaustion The former New York teen model wore her platinuray sweatshirt was dotted hat looked like pureed carrots

The new ure career and fao to join their community "Have you seen Sunny?"

"Not since she left yesterday" One hand still against her throat, she fidgeted with her own shoulder-length brown hair Would Brett prefer it longer? Chehted? Maybe even with a bold steak of color like Sunny’s? "But you kno she is"

"Da onto her shoulder, always careful to keep her face toward Misty for lip-reading "I was hoping she could take my lunch shift at the snack bar so I could take JT for his well-baby checkup, and Phoenix has a class to teach"

Clinic appointht since one of their nurse practitioners had left last fall, determined to becoidness of the city council’s rules made her want to scream Silently of course

"I can take your shift I pro the orders, no mistakes, even if I have to make them write dohat they want" She eary with everyone cosseting her She’d worked so hard to accommodate for the deafness that had resulted froitis, and still everyone babied her

Her sing around to thu to her sister-in-law’s clothes Did she even kno lucky she was?

Pulling back, Astrid scrunched her nose "Sorry I forget so, and I wish there was some way to pay you back"

Hopefully Astrid could help Phoenix understand why she had to go It was so much easier for Sunny to stick it out here She had options

When the boundaries of their community became too constrictive for her, she hiked into thesurvival courses Caood-bye Of that Misty was sure If only Sunny could be the one to escort her out instead of their brother--their half brother, rather Phoenix’s biological mom had died when he o, then their dad remarried…

Misty watched him stride away and sit on a stationary bike, baby strapped to his chest while he started his workout Phoenix didn’t talk ood father She couldn’t remember a tihost froends

Astrid waved a hand in front of her eyes, snapping her fingers Misty jerked and turned fast

"Sorry I was daydrea her, Astrid tapped the top of the computer "You never have to worry about bad breath with an Internet boyfriend"

"Not funny"

"But true" She leaned closer to clasp Misty’s hands "You can do better than this"